The subject matter of the present disclosure relates to article feeding systems that accumulate in one or more rows of files and transfers each successive article or groups of articles along another path to the infeed of a processing machine and more particularly to a packaging machine of the type referred to as a horizontal, form, fill and seal machine. Due to the fragile nature of certain articles, especially candy bars, cookies and other food items, it is difficult to achieve the objectives of gentle and accurate handling at high speeds. For example, chocolate covered candy bars must be handled so that cracking, chipping or scraping of the coating is minimized or prevented.
The prior art includes many feeders arranged so that the file of articles are located at right angles to the infeed conveyor of the packaging machine. During transfer of the leading article from the file of articles, maintenance of sufficient backlog pressure is required to insure proper location of the leading article. As the leading article is conveyed toward the packaging machine sliding interaction occurs with the next succeeding article. In addition to imposing scraping between articles, the article backlog hesitates until the leading article has been displaced from the file. To avoid such scraping action right angle feeders have employed indexing drives synchronized with the transfer of the leading article, thus resulting in an intermittent hesitation of the file of articles or have incorporated mechanisms which will impart a reverse motion of the file of articles during the transfer of the leading article. Resort to such expedients overly complicate the feeder drives and oftentimes jamming and consequent damage to the articles occurs. These expedients further impose a serious limitation on the speed at which the backlog of articles can be processed.
Such basic requirements of gentle and accurate feeding at high speed renders most feeders incapable of being adapted or adaptable to meet these requirements, particularly when miniature and junior sized candy bars are to be fed at rates of 900 or more bars per minute.
Article size restrictions, in addition to the requirements of gentle and accurate feedings, impose a condition rendering adaptation of existing feeders difficult. Accordingly the feeding concept which will meet these requirements and be adaptable to a significant range of article sizes is an objective of the feeding mechanism of the present invention.